DC and Marvel pay homage to Dragon Ball Z with a recreation of Akira Toriyama’s most famous ideas. Dragon Ball is just as action-packed as the DC and Marvel universes, with dozens of planet-destroying villains and heroes who can go toe-to-toe with powerhouses like Superman. Although the worlds of DC Comics and Dragon Ball have never formally clashed, both franchises have given each other subtle nods.
The Dragon Ball franchise features several unique concepts that most Western comics don’t regularly experiment with. Ki, ki charging, beam clashes, and multi-stage transformations are clear Dragon Ball staples. But every once in a while, DC and Marvel toy with similar ideas.
Batman Fuses With A Fellow Hero Again In DC Comics
Batman/Deadpool #1; Art by Dan Mora & Jorge Jimenez
Dan Mora unveils the cover for the upcoming Batman/Deadpool #1, which features a breathtaking fusion of the Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth. This fusion mirrors the wild combinations of Marvel and DC’s Amalgam Comics, in the spirit of the Batman/Wolverine fusion Deathclaw. Batpool would be unmatched in hand-to-hand combat, more acrobatic than Wade Wilson and more direct in battle than Bruce Wayne.
Batman has recently fused with a fellow hero in DC Comics. In Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Batman and Superman merged into a single hero using Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern ring. The Superbat fusion sports a blue-and-red Batsuit with a bat emblem in the shape of an “S”. Batpool’s chest emblem also fuses both heroes’ logos, somewhat resembling the Punisher’s emblem.
Dragon Ball Z’s Fusion Is One Of The Best Concepts To Come Out Of The Iconic Manga & Anime
Character Fusions Are Underused In Fiction
Dragon Ball Z revolutionized its lore rather late in the game by introducing fusions, a mechanic that combines the physical and psychological traits of two fighters into a singular, superior entity. Through the Metamoran Dance and the Potara Earrings, merged characters like Gogeta and Vegetto became instant hallmarks of the genre. This concept remains largely untapped in Western fiction. It’s curious that expansive multiverses like DC and Marvel have rarely experimented with character fusions.
Mark Waid’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest features Superbat and Grant Morrison’s Batman/Deadpool merge the Dark Knight with Deadpool. It’s refreshing to see these legendary personalities inhabit the same space. But one-off appearances are still too little. Batman’s fusions with Superman and Deadpool could be the start of a bigger trend. The success of the Amalgam era only underlines the potential of character fusions.
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- Created By
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Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Alias
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Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
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Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
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Human
- Franchise
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D.C.
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- First Appearance
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The New Mutants
- Alias
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Wade Wilson
- Alliance
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X-Men, Avengers, Astonishing Avengers, Deadpool Corps, Frightful Four, Great Lakes Initiative, Heroes for Hire, Mercs for Money, Secret Defenders, Six Pack, Thunderbolts, Weapon X, X-Force
- Race
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Mutant
- Franchise
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Marvel
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